


Stay With Me

by mariescarisi (darahsooley)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gunshot Wounds, Hospitals, Hurt Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Hurt/Comfort, Lawyer Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Minor Violence, Rollisi, Romance, Shooting, Team as Family, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28573404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darahsooley/pseuds/mariescarisi
Summary: ADA Carisi is injured after a suspect opens fire during his trial. Rollisi, eventual Barson.
Relationships: Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 20
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

The perp opened fire before the judge could declare a verdict.

It was an obvious verdict, a heinous crime committed by an even uglier man. It was a large-scale case. Surely there would be a crowd of people waiting for the cops to escort him to a holding van, entrapping him in the sticky web of the justice system.

Benson sat back in her seat, watching Dominick’s back. He tapped his foot anxiously despite the quick comeback of the jury. It was his signature, his hands clutching the now empty glass of water. His constant movement lightly jiggled the table he was seated at.

“What say you?” Judge Miller said, pushing up her purple glasses as she turned her head to the standing juror.

“We find the defendant, James Kelsey, guilty on all charges.” The tall woman said affirmatively. 

Carisi nodded his head in approval, a smile playing at his lips. He turned to glance at Benson who nodded back at him, a look of appreciation crossing her face.

“Very well. The jury is dismissed. The state of New York thanks you for your civil service.” Miller said, turning back to the court, “please take the defendant into custody.”

Nobody saw him move swiftly to the approaching cop's holster, gripping the gun like a lifeline. With the weapon firm in his hand, he smacked it forward onto the cop’s head, whipping him with the butt of the gun.

Knowing he only had seconds, he fired rapidly into the crowd of persons that had decided the fate of the rest of his life. Bullets misted through the courtroom like rain. Quickly, the crowd realized what was happening and the several cops in the room returned fire. Yells to duck and screaming echoed in the chamber. The bullets hit several people, others echoing as they rammed into the wooden architecture.

Miller slumped over in her chair, a pool of blood spilling onto the gavel.

Several members of the jury ducked behind the paneled seats, stains of their own blood on tinting the wood.

Benson kept her panicked expression trained on the perp who was now being tackled by several officers. He barely made it out of the defendant seat before they descended on him, knocking the gun out of his hand. It hit the ground with a thud. Other people of the court ran to the victims, assisting them in whatever they could. Several cops shouted orders for busses. They needed to be quick—a perp opened fire in Part 33 and many victims were down. Liv froze in her seat. She tore her eyes from the perp, now tangled in a mass of hands dragging him out by tight handcuffs, to the prosecution table.

The tall cup Carisi had clutched his hand around while waiting for the verdict seemed to have vanished. Shattered glass pieces fanned across the mahogany table were collateral damage of a stray bullet. Two people, including the perp’s nearly petrified attorney, were bending over someone, using their suit jackets and blazers to cauterize the victim’s wounds.

Oh, no.

No, no, no.

The panicked thoughts raced around Benson’s head like a racehorse as she stood up, paralyzed in her mind as her feet took her towards the front of the courtroom. She couldn’t deal with this again. Not now…not ever. The smiling face of Mike Dodds flashed through her mind. She would see it every time she came into the precinct, memorialized onto a plaque hanging on the wall.

Her heartbeat in horror through her chest at the idea of having to see another member of her squad on the wall, someone she’d seen grow into his own, a fellow officer, a friend, a member of her family.

Olivia dropped to her knees beside the others tending to him, ripping off her own blazer.

“How bad?” She barked, examining the prosecutor’s body.

It was the flustered defense attorney that spoke up, his face red. He didn’t look up from where he pressed a darkening jacket.

“Twice…once in the gut, and once in the head.” He pressed tighter.

Carisi groaned, murmurs of pain slipping through his clenched teeth.

Olivia edged back, eyes shifting up to finally look at the rest of the room. EMTs rushed into the room, eyes skirting the floor to attempt to triage patients as they approached.

She raised her hand, waving them over.

“A.D.A. Dominick Carisi, they said he was hit twice, once in the head and once in the gut. He’s losing a lot of blood, but he’s conscious. I’m not sure how lucid he is.” She handed her blazer to the attorney, as the EMTs swarmed around them.

“Hit in the head and he’s conscious?” a voice asked. 

“Yeah…yeah, he hasn’t lost consciousness but has said nothing. Just grumbling.”

“Hey there, Sonny. Remember me?” A female voice said, working over him.

Dominick’s light eyes stood out against the blood dripping down his face.

Benson watched as they snapped towards the voice.

“Yeah...” He mumbled, his Staten Island accent thick.

“What’s my name?”

“K..Kendra.”

“Yes, Kendra! Good, Sonny. Do you remember where we went to get coffee that one time?”

He was quiet, staring at the ceiling as they continued to work.

“Come on, Sonny. I know it was a while ago, but we had fun! The hot chocolate was so good! Do you remember?”

After another moment, he finally responded.

“130th and Davids.”

“Yes! Good work! Alright, I know it hurts, but we’re going to get you outta here. Okay? You gotta keep your eyes open for me though.”

Sonny looked around him as they rushed a gurney towards him. Olivia felt his heavy stare on her shoulder. 

“Cap, tell Manda…love her.” He whispered, trying to turn his head to meet Olivia’s teary gaze.

She nodded in response, not sure if he saw it.

“Where are you taking him?” Olivia asked as they loaded him onto a stretcher.

“Everyone’s going to Bellevue.” Another EMT said, still focused on Dominick.

“Can I ride along?” She asked.

* * *

Several pagers and phones beeped at once in the 16th precinct.

“Perp opened fire at the courthouse.” Fin said, eyes widening as he read the alert.

“There were seven victims. Two dead.” Another voice cried from a different desk in the precinct.

“Where?” Amanda Rollins rose from her seat, fear running down her back.

Voices muttered at her outcry, but nobody seemed to know the answer.

“Shooter was James Kelsey. He’s in custody.” It was a familiar voice that spoke, but Amanda’s jumbled thoughts couldn’t identify it. Her already chilling back froze at the sound of the name.

“Kelsey? That’s our guy…that’s...” Her voice was an ice pick.

“Liv and Carisi were both there.” Fin gasped at the same time.

“They took vics to Bellevue.” Someone called, another alert beeping.

Several police officers were heading towards the doors, the chatter amongst them panicked, puzzled, and praying for the fallen.

“Amanda, you call Liv and I’ll call Carisi.” Fin barked as they moved.

Rollins’ slammed the phone to her ear, the dial tone ringing several times before going to voicemail.

“Come on, Liv! Pick up!”

She tried again without hesitation, fright coming out of her mouth in the form of a flustered yelp. Olivia’s voicemail was the only response to her panicked cry.

“Amanda, let’s go! O’Hara is taking us. He’s outside. Let’s move.” Fin said from behind her. His own phone was to his ear as he offered her his hand, “No answer from Carisi, but we can try them again on the way.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Just got word that Judge Miller was D.O.A.” Sargent O’Hara reported grimly as he shut his phone. “No word yet on other vics.” 

The driver of the vehicle muttered a curse under his breath at the news. He slowed the speed of the SUV, pulling towards the entrance of the hospital.

Fin and Amanda sprinted towards the doors. Many officers and officials from the DA’s office were in their wake, following them into the hospital.

Upon entering, people were dotted all over the waiting room. Amanda thought she recognized the thick hair of Bureau Chief Hadid in the corner as her eyes scanned the room for any sign of Dominick or Olivia.

“Finn!” a familiar voice called. Several eyes turned to see where the voice came from. A warm wave of relief trickled down Rollins’ back as she saw their Captain approaching. Benson’s arms were bare. It was an easy note to take as she’d been wearing a cardigan earlier in the squad room.

Splotches of dark blood stained her blue shirt.

“Liv! Thank God! Are you alright? Where is-”

“Benson!” Hadid called softly, her normal foghorn like voice honeyed. Her tone was sincere, something Amanda wasn’t used to, as she cut the detective off. Amanda tore her eyes from her captain, expecting to see Carisi’s tall frame tailing his boss.

It wasn’t.

Hadid’s brown eyes housed horror.

“Carisi?” She asked, looking around the gathered people. She’d never seen Hadid display emotion like this.

Benson must have also taken notice of this because she quickly turned away. Her eyes still red as looked up to glance at Amanda briefly before turning back to Hadid.

“He was hit twice…once in the gut and once in the head.” Benson said, the words brittle. She bit the corner of her lip and drew in a deep breath.

“Damn it!” Hadid choked.

“What?” Fin asked, puzzled.

A small but audible gasp punctuated the others’ words. It dazed Amanda where the sound had come from, barely registering in her own ears, as the possibilities swam around her head. Any relief she felt from seeing Olivia vanished, dissolving into her skin as she took in the reality of what had just come from her Captain’s mouth.

He couldn’t have been. There was no way. How in the world? Her mind flashed back to the courthouse shooting from years before. Johnny “D” Drake, the man that had trafficked dozens, if not hundreds of girls, had opened fire in the same way. The tsunami of bullets struck several officers, including their very own Nick Amaro,. Nick was hit twice but had lived through it. Amanda saw him through some physical therapy. She saw the gears turn in his head as he re-evaluated his life. It was right for him to leave, to be with children. She could understand that better than ever now with two of her own.

He wanted to be constant for them, a consistency, a normalcy in their upbringing on the west coast.

Her chest hurt.

Amanda made mistakes in life, resulting in a struggle to maintain constants in her life, in her children’s lives. Her relationship with her family was a train wreck, so she often sought to use her squad to replace them. It worked well at times and others not. She shot a shaky glance at Benson and Fin, who were unsurprisingly already staring at her. She figured out the cry had come from her own lips.

Another sharp pain stung in her chest.

Carisi wasn’t like Benson or Fin.

Carisi wasn’t like anyone she’d known.

She shook her head, fighting the sudden urge to cry. She would not cry.

N  
ot here.

Amanda swallowed back the tears and shifted back towards Liv.

“How is he?” Hadid asked, breaking the silence.

Benson shook her head, her voice still cold.

“They rushed him to surgery as soon as they got him here. He was conscious for a while, in the courtroom after he got hit. He was in a lot of pain, but he was lucid. The EMTs were asking him questions, and he answered them. They thought it might have grazed him on the head. It wasn’t until we were in the ambulance when he lost consciousness. It’s only been a little while…” Olivia said, looking at everyone. A tiny ounce of hope dripped into her voice as she told them the details of their ride to the hospital. Perhaps they’re right. But then what? He survives getting hit in the head, but what about the gut—a monopoly board of life or death.

“They didn’t know how much damage the other one did.” She continued.

Hadid closed her eyes and clenched her lips in a tight line, nodding.

“We should call his family, Olivia. I’ll call his parents. I’ve got their numbers in a file on my phone. Is there anyone else you can think of?” She asked, looking around. Her eyes stopped at Amanda, frowning.

“No, just them. They’ll call his sisters.” Olivia answered, nodding her head at Hadid.

After Hadid left to make the calls, the squad looked to their Captain.

Rollins bit her lip tighter. She needed to be strong.

“What exactly happened?” Fin asked, looking around at his fellow officers.

Benson shook her head, opening her mouth and shutting it, racking her brain for the right words.

“They read the verdict, Kelsey took someone’s gun and started firing. Judge Miller got hit and died before they could get her in the ambulance. There were jury members hit too, and one officer. I didn’t see Carisi get hit…it was all just…sudden. He was on the ground and Kelsey’s attorney and a jury member were helping him. He lost…a lot of blood.” Liv said, shaking her head. She moved backwards to collapse in a chair.

“I can’t do this again. Not after Dodds.” She looked down at her hands.

Amanda slumped in the chair next to her, feeling no relief. She kept her mouth shut, afraid to open it for fear of losing the control she had on her body.

“Liv, you said he was conscious at the scene. That’s a good sign. You said he was answering questions?”

“Uh, yeah…the EMT kept asking him things. Sounded like she knew him. They went out for coffee or something. Kept asking him about street numbers and if he remembered her name.”

“Did he?”

“Yeah, he seemed to.”

“See? Leave it to Carisi to be chattin’ up a lady after getting shot.” Fin said, trying to lighten the mood. Humor was the way he expressed himself. He worried about the younger detective-turned-ADA.

Fin took a seat as the wait began.

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I went back and realized I wrote this half asleep, so I cleaned up some of the grammar lol. New chapter tomorrow 1.6 // this story isn’t complete, I’m just newer to Ao3 😬


End file.
